London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 08, 2025

Raducanu 'didn't expect to be here'

Raducanu 'didn't expect to be here'

British teenager Emma Raducanu's run to the US Open semi-finals was so surprising even to her that she had booked flights back to the UK a fortnight ago.

The 18-year-old Briton is the first qualifier to reach the last four of the Grand Slam in New York.

"I didn't expect to be here at all," the world number 150 said.

"My flights were booked at the end of qualifying, so it's a nice problem to have."

The rapid rise of Raducanu continued as she reached the semi-finals at Flushing Meadows with a straight-set win over Swiss 11th seed Belinda Bencic on Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday.

As a result Raducanu, who passed her A Levels earlier this summer, is set to rise to the cusp of the world's top 50 and will become the British women's number one.

"It definitely means a lot to be in the semi-finals," she added.

"I'm just really enjoying the experience. Out there on the court, I was saying to myself, this could be the last time you play on Ashe, so might as well just go for it and enjoy everything."

One downside to the surprise run is Raducanu's parents, Ian and Renee, have not been able to see any of their daughter's matches first hand.

Neither will they be able to see Thursday's semi-final - against Greek 17th seed Maria Sakkari - because of the strict travel restrictions to the United States.

"It's not possible, because you need a waiver and it takes a couple weeks for approval. It's too late and they won't be able to get one," Raducanu said.

With a wide smile she added: "I haven't actually called my parents for quite a while. Earlier this week they were ghosting me, but when we speak - because I have been away for so long now - they just really want to see how I am."

'British legends are providing inspiration'
Wade (centre) watched Raducanu's US Open fourth-round match against Shelby Rogers


Raducanu has become the first British woman to reach a US Open semi-final since Jo Durie in 1983, while Virginia Wade was the last to win the title in 1968.

Wade watched Raducanu's match against Shelby Rogers on Monday, with the younger Briton addressing the 76-year-old during the post-match victory interview and describing her an "absolute legend".

More recently, three-time Grand Slam champion Andy Murray won the men's tournament in 2012 as part of his journey to becoming a British legend.

Former world number one Murray, 34, has practised with Raducanu at the National Tennis Centre in Roehampton in recent times, as well as playing against the teenager in mixed doubles at the Battle of Brits exhibition event last year.

Tim Henman, another notable British former player, who reached the US Open semi-finals in 2004, has also been watching Raducanu from courtside at Flushing Meadows in his role as a television analyst.

"I think that their presence and everything that they have achieved is inspiration in itself for me. We have some great role models to look up to," Raducanu said.

"I personally haven't spent that much time with them, but Andy has quite often on occasion spoken to me and I actually hit with him two times, which was really good for me to see his ball speed and how good he is.

"All are such great role models and figures for me to follow."

How the teenagers are showing the future is bright


Raducanu's success comes as a host of young stars have filled the absence of several big names - in particular Serena Williams, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal - with superb performances.

Canada's 19-year-old Leylah Fernandez has perhaps even captured more attention than Raducanu in New York, having beaten Japan's defending champion Naomi Osaka, Germany's three-time Grand Slam champion Angelique Kerber and Ukrainian fifth seed Elina Svitolina in her past three matches.

On the men's side, Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, 18, is another teenager who has showcased his ability on the biggest stage.

With Raducanu having joined Fernandez in the last four, it is the first time since 2009 that two teenagers have progressed to the US Open women's singles semi-finals.

Asked how Fernandez's success is inspiring her, Raducanu said having so many young players doing well showed "how strong the next generation is".

After revealing Fernandez had handed out cupcakes in the locker room to celebrate her 19th birthday earlier this week, she added: "Layla is really nice. Everyone is on their own trajectory, though.

"I'm here taking control of what I can control and it is my own journey at the end of the day.

"I think to compare yourself and your results against anyone is probably like the thief of happiness.

"I didn't compete for 18 months [because of the coronavirus pandemic], but here I am, and it just shows that if you believe in yourself, then anything is possible."


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
France: Less Than a Month After His Appointment, the New French Prime Minister Resigns
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán stated that Hungary will not adopt the euro because the European Union is falling apart.
Sarah Mullally Becomes First Woman Appointed Archbishop of Canterbury
Mayor in western Germany in intensive care after stabbing
Australian government pays Deloitte nearly half a million dollars for a report built on fabricated quotes, fake citations, and AI-generated nonsense.
US Prosecutors Gained Legal Approval to Hack Telegram Servers
Macron Faces Intensifying Pressure to Resign or Trigger New Elections Amid France’s Political Turmoil
Standard Chartered Names Roberto Hoornweg as Sole Head of Corporate & Investment Banking
UK Asylum Housing Firm Faces Backlash Over £187 Million Profits and Poor Living Conditions
UK Police Crack Major Gang in Smuggling of up to 40,000 Stolen Phones to China
BYD’s UK Sales Soar Nearly Nine-Fold, Making Britain Its Biggest Market Outside China
Trump Proposes Farm Bailout from Tariff Revenues Amid Backlash from Other Industries
FIFA Accuses Malaysia of Forging Citizenship Documents, Suspends Seven Footballers
Latvia to Bar Tourist and Occasional Buses to Russia and Belarus Until 2026
A Dollar Coin Featuring Trump’s Portrait Expected to Be Issued Next Year
Australia Orders X to Block Murder Videos, Citing Online Safety and Public Exposure
Three Scientists Awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine for Discovery of Immune Self-Tolerance Mechanism
OpenAI and AMD Forge Landmark AI-Chip Alliance with Equity Option
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
France Names New Government Amid Political Crisis
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
×